The new kid on the block

It’s the same sport, but it is a whole new game for the Petaluma and Casa Grande boys varsity lacrosse teams.

The difference is high school. After eight years of hard lobbying with the schools and the Petaluma City Schools District, lacrosse finally is an official school and California Interscholastic Federation-recognized sport at both Petaluma and Casa Grande.

Everyone agrees there is a huge difference between the club sport that both Petaluma and Casa Grande have been so successful at over the past several years and the North Bay League high school sport the Trojans and Gauchos are playing this spring. Even the names are new.

As club teams, Petaluma and Casa Grande were not allowed to play using their school mascot names. Now Petaluma players are definitely the Trojans and proud of it, and Casa Grande players are equally proud of being the Gauchos.

“The players feel really good about being part of the school,” Petaluma coach Kevin Louchis says. “All the guys on the team haven gotten an emotional boost now that they get to call themselves Trojans. It gives me an opportunity to work with the players as student/athletes and not just athletes.”

“Being recognized by the school means a lot,” agrees Casa Grande coach Ben Hewitt. “It is really great that we now have the support and resources of the school and the recognition of the players. A lot of people worked for a long time and put in a lot of hard work to make it happen.”

Petaluma and Casa Grande play in a league that includes Rancho Cotate, Cardinal Newman, Windsor and Sonoma Academy. They also play against Marin County Athletic League teams and teams from the East Bay. Games are played during the week, rather than mostly on weekends as club teams do.

“The schedule is different,” Louchis says, “but we’re adjusting to it. We don’t prepare all week for the weekend matches, and the competition every week is strong.”

“Petaluma has a very good team. Rancho Cotate has some good athletes and Cardinal Newman’s program is well established. There is good competition,” says Hewitt.

There is another advantage to playing those teams - they’re close in comparison to the long trips the teams had to make on weekends for club matches and tournaments. “It is a big deal to be able to play games at the school and in close proximity to home,” Hewitt says.

Both Petaluma and Casa Grande are young teams, but are holding their own in their new situation. Petaluma is 3-1 on the season, with three straight wins, over Justin-Siena, Clayton Valley and Redwood, following a season-opening loss to Novato. Casa Grande is 2-2 with victories over San Rafael and Tamalpais and losses to Davis and Livermore.

The two rivals meet on April 3 at Casa Grande.

Petaluma has 20 players on its roster. Louchis says about half are freshmen or sophomores, who are “eager to learn.”

Big news from Troy in the early going was the 10 goals scored by Bandon Ruzick in a 16-8 win over Clayton Valley. Louchis says his teammates had much to do with Ruzick’s big game. “It really was a team thing,” the coach explains. “His teammates cleared the way and kept setting him up.”

Ruzick and Charlie Walker are expected to lead the Petaluma attack this year.

Midfielder Ellis Scherer, a junior, is one of the Trojans’ top athletes. Louchis says his value is such that he seldom comes off the field. He scored three goals and scooped up several ground balls to spark Petaluma in a 9-8 win over Redwood.

Tate Barend keys the Petaluma defense. “Smart is the word used a lot of his play on the field,” says Louchis. “He is an outstanding defender.”

Casa Grande is an even younger team that Petaluma. “Eight of our 10 starters are new,” Hewitt points out, “but they are a great group. They are growing and learning.”

The Gauchos are led by Angelo Lagomarsino, regarded as one of the best attack men in the area. A legitimate D1 prospect, he has already agreed to play next year with New Jersey Institute of Technology, a D1 lacrosse school.

The other seniors are midfielders Kevin Donohoe and Zack Evans. Both are outstanding players and team leaders. Evans is a team captain.

This season, neither school has a junior varsity team, although Petaluma Youth Lacrosse sponsors club teams that have players that would play JV for both schools if the option were available.

“I expect both schools to have JV teams in the near future,” Hewitt says.

Both coaches credit the Petaluma Youth lacrosse League - the Rivercats - with preparing players for high school varsity lacrosse.

“Petaluma Youth lacrosse has done a great job building a structure that allowed us to create high school lacrosse teams,” Hewitt says.

“The Rivercats gives us athletes that have all the basic skills,” Louchis says. “Kids can pick up advanced concepts quickly, because they have the basic skills.”